Indian, Chinese troops meet at Arunachal, vow to boost ties

A high-level meeting between Army officials and Chinese PLA troops was organised on Friday at Bumla, near Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, where the two sides reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen friendship and maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control.

The 4057-km-long Line of Actual Control separates India from China.

The delegations, led by Major General PGK Menon from India and Major General Li Xi Zhong from China, hoisted flags of both the countries and discussed ways to boost relationship between the neighbours, a defence ministry release said.

This was the first time major generals of the two countries took part in a border personnel meeting (BPM), since its initiation in 1990, the release said.

On Wednesday, too, the army personnel of the two sides exchanged greeting and gifts on the occasion of Diwali.

The BPM at Bumla was yet another milestone in the ongoing efforts by both the nations to increase interactions at all levels - diplomatic as well as military channels, the defence release said.

Located at an altitude of 15,000 ft and situated 42 km North of Tawang town, Bumla is one of the five designated venues for BPMs between two of the world's largest armies.

Both the delegation expressed satisfaction over the "growing mutual trust and harmony" between the two countries and expressed hope that the Sino-Indian relationship would only get stronger with time, the release added.